Get involved and make a difference vow Tories

Rob Wilson in Reading East and Alok Sharma in Reading West welcomed their leader David Cameron’s blueprint for a Conservative government.

Its key message, they say, is that everyone across Reading should get together and get involved to solve Westminster’s broken politics, fix Britain’s broken society and get Reading’s economy moving.

The Conservative plans include:

- Supporting new entrepreneurs, helping the unemployed back into work, and stopping Labour’s new jobs tax - Letting public sector workers set up co-operatives to improve the services they provide - Giving voters the right to sack MPs found guilty of serious wrong-doing - Allowing parents and local community groups to open up and run new schools to raise standards - Helping first-time buyers own their own home through a permanent reduction in stamp duty for homes up to £250,000, and giving social tenants across Reading an equity stake in their home for being good neighbours, to help them get a foot on the housing ladder - Empowering local residents to stop high council tax rises - Giving a locally elected representative responsibility for police budgets and strategies for Thames Valley Police, so that people’s priorities for tackling crime come first - Letting local people save valued community services like pubs, parks or post offices from closure, and help supporter groups buy into football clubs - Showing how Whitehall, Reading Borough, Wokingham Borough and West Berks Councils spend your money, by publishing detailed figures on spending and contracts online for all to see.

“We won’t solve our social problems with more big government from Labour – we need to build a Big Society where families are strong and our communities are safe. And we’ll never change politics if we leave it all to Westminster politicians – we need to give people across Reading real power and control over their lives.

“Our manifesto brings together all the work we’ve done over the last five years as we’ve changed into a modern, progressive Conservative Party under David Cameron. We’re all in this together and by working together we can change the country for the better.”

Mr Sharma said: “The Conservative manifesto is not like any manifesto people have seen from a British political party because we’re saying something very different to the normal promises you get at election time – that no government on its own can solve the big problems we face – everyone’s going to have to get involved.”

He said: “The Conservative manifesto clearly demonstrates our commitment to supporting the NHS, raising educational standards, helping our pensioners, supporting families and standing up for hard working people and local businesses.”

The Tories will make Britain the “most family friendly country in Europe” – that was the message from shadow secretary for work and pensions Theresa May when she visited Reading West.

Mrs May, MP for Maidenhead, said: “To make Britain more family friendly we will end the couple penalty in the tax credit system which pays couples to stay apart when bringing up children rather than be together, we can do this as we make savings by our welfare reform plans.

“We will recognise marriage in the tax system and extend the right to request flexible working to parents with children up to the age of 18.

“We will change maternity leave into flexible parental leave to give mums and dads more choice in how to look after their babies and will refocus the Sure Start budget to recruit 4,200 more health visitors to give young families the support they need.”

She added: “We’ll take action on debt to get the economy moving, get Britain working by boosting enterprise, make Britain the most family friendly country in Europe, back the NHS, raise school standards and change politics.”